US egg producers to pay $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs after price‑fixing probe

The US Department of Justice and 17 states reached settlements with three major egg producers—Cal‑Maine Foods, Versova and Hickman’s Egg Ranch—ending a price‑fixing investigation that covered June 2022 to March 2025. The companies will collectively pay $3.3 million and donate 53 million eggs to food‑bank and nonprofit programs. None of the firms admitted liability, but the agreements require them to adopt antitrust‑compliance programs and prohibit any communication with competitors about pricing or supply strategies.

The probe found the firms coordinated offers submitted to Urner Barry Publications, which sets the benchmark index for retail egg prices. Prices had peaked at about $6.23 per dozen in March 2025 amid an avian‑flu outbreak that forced the culling of millions of chickens. After the investigation began, prices fell to under $2.20 per dozen by May 2026 as supply normalized. Payments will be allocated among the participating states, and the egg donations will be distributed to food‑bank networks.